American men pick up first win
Team USA struggled in the today's match with Denmark's Rasmus Stjerne rink but benefitted from a last-rock gaffe by the 23-year-old Danish skip to earn a 7-6 victory and improve to 1-3 in the 11-game round robin.
McCormick converted a double takeout with his final stone of the match to pressure 2009 world junior champion Stjerne as he faced a draw to the button against two U.S. rocks for the win. McCormick and teammates Bill Stopera (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.), Martin Sather (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) and Dean Gemmell (Short Hills, N.J.) stole the two points and, more importantly, the win, when Stjerne's stone was heavy. Team USA was out-shot by Denmark, 83 percent to 70, in a game filled with highs and lows once again. This time, however, the Americans came out on the winning side after several other close games.
"It definitely feels good, but we're still struggling pretty badly out there," said McCormick, 35, who lives in Sarnia, Ontario, but was born in Michigan. "We started off really good and then struggled in the middle, for sure. We played decently there at the end, but they were playing a lot better as well. Then obviously at the end, we got to make him throw his last shot ... and I make two nice shots in the last end, and we got very fortunate."
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